The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1887-04-01
FRIDAY. APRIL /, 1887.
THE BATTLE GROUND.

As minated on former day. the
field on which the struggle between
mal.administratio and public rights is
to be fought out, if ever it is fought out
in this Kingdom, lies'about the ballot
box The plan Of the first coming
Campaign cannot be arranged day too
soon. Complete organization and skill.
ful management will next be required
10 carry the campaign to successful
issue on the side Of the constituencies
II is desirable at the outset that the
peoples candidates, whoever they may
be, have a definite object in view and
also that all in sympathy with popular
rights keep that object before them as
the one thing to be attained The de.
feat Of every candidate holding any
Office Of emolument whatever under
the Goyernmentought TO be prime and
ony object Of the contest. Organized
effort in every electoral district in the
Kingdom with this single object in
view, cannot but tell at the polls
Discussion Of minor questions should
be ruled out Of order 1t is Of com.
parativtly little consequence whether
the Legislature pass five or a two mil.
lion appropriation bill, negotiate this
or that foreign loan, pass this or that
BILL but to all thinking minds it is
clear that crisis has come in affairs
that cannot be safely passed otherwise
than by a radical reform in the char
acter Of the Legislative body. Every
merchant, mechanic, laborer, plantation
manager and ship owner in Hawaii is
personally interested in the matter.
And the number Of those people who
are not in hearty opposition to the
ruling factions Of the present time is
enthusiastically small A FESTIVE anx-
iety for reform is probably more gen
eral everywhere than at any previous
period in the history Of civilization in
the country. Everyone desires a
change OF system, change OF admins.
is,ration and change for the better,
feeling that a change for the worse is
scarcely possible. But the great trou.
bic with the voice of the people has
long been the utterance Of loud calls for
amendment to be initiated and carried
out by somebody else. This Sinking
Of responsibility by individual citizens
has been the source Of popular weak
ness which has permitted corrupt prac-
ticesltol grow into normal conditions in
Hawaiian politics. When every citizen
comes to realize that he is responsible
personally for the doings of public
men, the first course in the foundation
of political reform may be pronounced
we'll and truly laid. The next course
will be laid when citizens come to-
gether shoulder to shoulder and
adopt a clearly defined policy oil
reform, and perfect arrangements for
carrying their views into effect. A
Reform League or Peoples Party
ought to be formally organized
without delay, with office-bearers and
committees to guide its operations. No
difficulty should be experienced in
adopting SO simple a platform as that
OF legislative. representation of the
electors, pure and simple, to supersede
the wretched burlesque by which two
thirds Of the members of the House
consist of paid employees of Govern
ment Letthis single and fundamental
abuse be grappled with unitedly by all
who desire to see it removed, and very
few outside of those whose axes are on
the Treasury grndstone will be found
to oppose them. There ought surely
TO be found in Honolulu sufficient
pluck among the citizens to take the
initiative. Other districts would speed
lily fall into line, and in a few months
the hireling demagogues who have been
leading the country pell nell into the
meshes of despotism and anarchy
would find themselves face to face with